sente
The initiative that lets a player make the next important move.
Also known as
Sente is a move or position that gives its player the initiative because the opponent must respond, or risks a significant disadvantage by playing elsewhere. In a local fight, this may mean answering a tactical threat; across the board, it can determine who controls the next stage of the game.
After a sente move, the opponent’s answer is effectively forced or strongly urgent. The player can continue the sequence, or use that initiative to play elsewhere and seize another important opportunity. Sente therefore controls the order of play. It contrasts with gote, where a player must answer the opponent’s move and loses the initiative. A move may be locally valuable without being sente: creating a threat is not enough unless ignoring it is genuinely unfavorable.
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